Mrs. Bush's Remarks at Zurich Classic of New Orleans Birdies for Books Breakfast
The Ritz-Carlton
New Orleans, Louisiana

8:50 A.M. CDT

MRS. BUSH: Thank you very much, Jim, and thank you, Tommye, Jim's wife,
for everything that you've done to make sure this golf tournament goes on
as we all want it to, at the newly refurbished golf course here, the TPC
Louisiana course. And I want to thank you very much for making sure this
golf tournament is in New Orleans. I'm very happy to be here with all of
you for this.

I think Secretary Margaret Spellings is here, is she? Oh, there she is.
(Applause.) Secretary -- our Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings.
Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu, has joined us today. Thank you very, very
much, Governor, for being with us. (Applause.) Ambassador Pam Willeford,
who is the Chair of the Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries, is
here. Pam, thank you for coming. (Applause.) And I'm very happy to
welcome to New Orleans the Ambassador from Switzerland, Ambassador Urs
Ziswiler. Thank you very much for joining us. (Applause.) And the
Ambassador's wife, Ronit. Thank you very much for coming, as well.

PGA wives that are here today, leaders from Zurich Financial,
representatives of the Fore!Kids Foundation, Women of the Storm, and
distinguished guests. Thank you all very much for coming to this
breakfast, and to this year's Zurich Classic. Recreational facilities like
the TPC Golf Course, and sporting events like the PGA Tour, are important
to the rebuilding of New Orleans. So thank you for keeping the Zurich
Classic here in the Crescent City. (Applause.)

Another vital piece of the recovery is New Orleans's culture -- its beloved
art, music, and, of course, its cuisine. In a minute, Emeril will be
teaching us how to make New Orleans specialties, like shrimp and grits, and
I want to thank Emeril Lagasse, and Alden, as well, for joining us today.
(Applause.)

We all know, though, that the Gulf Coast recovery ultimately depends on its
schools. Until there are schools for children, families can't return home.
And never before in our history have state school superintendents and
state officials faced the challenge of rebuilding whole school districts as
quickly as possible.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, more than a thousand private
and public schools in the Gulf Coast region were damaged or destroyed.
More than 372,000 students moved -- were displaced to new classrooms in all
50 states. Today, every school district in Mississippi has reopened. In
Louisiana, 94 percent of schools have opened their doors. In New Orleans,
58 public and charter schools are now up and running.

And of course, these newly rebuilt schools need new libraries. In
September 2005, the Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries
established a special fund to help schools rebuild their book and material
collections. Since then, the Foundation's Gulf Coast School Library
Recovery Initiative has awarded about $2.5 million to 54 schools in
Mississippi, Louisana, Florida, and Texas.

These grants will help librarians build new collections, especially chosen
collections, that support their schools' curriculum. And they'll help
young people who use these libraries find comfort and inspiration in their
favorite books.

These grants are made possible by the support of generous individuals, good
corporate citizens like Zurich Financial, and charities such as Fore!Kids.
The Fore!Kids Foundation has donated more than $15 million to local New
Orleans charities -- and by hosting the PGA Tour, it adds an estimated $25
million to the local economy every year. Thank you very, very much.
(Applause.)

Today, Zurich and Fore!Kids are extending their generosity to the Laura
Bush Foundation through the "Birdies for Books" program. For each birdie
scored in the Classic, Zurich will award $100 to the School Library
Recovery Initiative. This is one time when we actually want sub-par
performances. (Laughter.) In fact, before I came, President Bush told me
he was glad he wasn't playing, or otherwise, it would have to be "Bogeys
for Books." (Laughter.)

We hope "Birdies for Books" gives players an extra incentive to do well on
the links. And we already know what it will give the children of the Gulf
Coast. With the money donated by Zurich, the Laura Bush Foundation will
help put books on the shelves of more school libraries. Rebuilt libraries
will help bring children back to their schools. And rebuilt schools will
bring families back to a revitalized Gulf Coast.

Thank you to Zurich Financial Services, and the Fore!Kids Foundation, and
to the PGA Tour for your generosity. And thanks to each and every one of
you for your commitment to New Orleans. I wish you the very best for a
great Zurich Classic -- and one with lots of birdies.